Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Researchers have settled the mystery of a tiny, enigmatic reptile that left an impression on Scottish sandstone nearly a quarter of a billion years ago after more than a century of debate.
The Scleromochlus taylori, was discovered near Elgin in Moray in the early 1900s, however due to a lack of remaining evidence, paleontologists were unsure of its features. In hopes of solving this mystery, researchers led by Davide Foffa at National Museums Scotland turned to computed tomography (CT) scans to reveal the creatures features in detail.
Joe spoke to Dr Nic Rawlence from the Paleogenetics Lab at the University of Otago, to get some insight into this fascinating discovery!
We’ll be looking at what's happening behind the scenes when drinking water gets to our taps or our wastewater is discharged – and how might climate change get in the way.
Joe spoke to Dr Lokesh P. Padhye, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Auckland about his thoughts on what needs to be done to address the issues within our water infrastructure.
Joe looks at Local Government New Zealand’s call for a review of local government elections. He speaks Bonita Bigham, Chair of Te Maruata at LGNZ on the matter.
Spike will dive into cannabis decriminalisation here in Aotearoa, following Joe Biden’s pardoning of thousands of Americans who were convicted due to cannabis possession.
Joe also look at the current state of our water infrastructures in Aotearoa New Zealand, he speaks to Dr Lokesh P. Padhye, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Auckland.
Finally, Joe speaks to Dr Nic Rawlence from the Paleogenetics Lab at the University of Otago about the recent discovery of Pterosaur-like creatures in Scotland.
US President Biden announced last Friday he would be pardoning thousands of cannabis possession charges, signalling a change of course in drug policy from the home of the War on Drugs, and a path towards decriminalisation of cannabis in the States.
Cannabis has been completely banned in Aotearoa since 1961 after the signing of the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs, a treaty pushed heavily by the US. Between 1980 and 2022, over 120,000 people have been convicted of cannabis use or possession. In the wake of Biden’s announcement, the New Zealand Drug Foundation has renewed calls for reform and launched a petition calling on the government to decriminalise cannabis and pardon possession charges.
Spike Keith spoke to New Zealand Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm about the effects of cannabis criminalisation here, and what decriminalisation would look like.
Today we have a package covering the oppositions recent calls for tax cuts.
Liam spoken to Green party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter and ACT Party Leader slash finance spokesperson David Seymour about their opinions on cutting back taxes
Liam also spoke to University of Canterbury economics and taxation professor Adrian Sawyer to help frame the conversation.
Liam also has his regular chat with City Councillor Pippa Coom, to chat about the final day of the local election voting.
David spoke to Waikato University Professor Alexander Gillespie about Vladimir Putin’s nuclear weapons threats.
David also spoke to Maritime Union General Secretary Craig Harrison about privatising Ports of Auckland
The tide of the war in Ukraine has turned and Russia forces are currently on the retreat across the Eastern part of Ukraine.
During the recent ceremonies announcing the illegal annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Vladimir Putin promised to defend these areas “by any means necessary”
Many analysts think that may include nuclear weapons.
David spoke to Waikato University Professor Alexander Gillespie about whether Putin is serious and what would happen if he does use them.
Announcements that government finances are in a healthier state than expected have renewed calls from National and ACT to implement tax cuts.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said on Wednesday that books are better thanks to higher taxes and lower spending on Covid-19 support.
A large reason why the government has received more income from taxes is due to revitalisations in the economy seeing more income gained from the goods and services tax.
Regardless, the opposition parties have stated that high taxes are a major contributor to New Zealand's ongoing cost of living crisis.
These calls came days after the United Kingdom had been put through economic turmoil after prime minister Liz Truss called for tax cuts for the rich, seeing the pound reach a record low value against the dollar.
This, alongside other factors, has caused Labour and Green to call the concept of tax cuts absurd.
Liam had a chat to Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter and ACT Party Leader/finance spokesperson David Seymour about their opinions on cutting back taxes, but first they spoke to University of Canterbury economics and taxation professor Adrian Sawyer to help frame the conversation.
Russia has recently announced their annexation of Ukrainian territory, but the move has been deemed illegal, and condemned by many actors. Aotearoa has joined the chorus of condemnation this week. Stella speaks to Geoffrey Miller, a geopolitical analyst from The Democracy Project, about the significance of our nation’s response.
Tuva’a who speaks to the Health Minister, Labour's Andrew Little in their weekly catch-up, today discussing pay differences for GP vs hospital doctor trainees.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has suggested to the local government forum that regional councils may be abolished, stating that
"After the upcoming changes to the Resource Management Act, I doubt that there's going to be a compelling case for regional government to continue to exist.“
Regional councils across Aotearoa are responsible for matters relating to natural resource management, flood control, and biosecurity.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said effectiveness between different councils is varied, and that councils generate too much bureaucracy and are “too focussed on vanity projects”.
As well, in order to make the most of local and central investment into Auckland’s growing city, the government is asking Auckland Council to increase the housing development allowance around key Central Rail Link stations in the lead up to the project’s completion.
Seeking to amend the resource management act, the government hopes to increase housing height and density around Mount Albert and Baldwin Avenue stations, allowing upzoning of ten stories around these areas, in addition to allowing upzoning of fifteen stories around Maungawhau, Morningside and Kingsland.
Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics, starting with the proposal to scrap regional councils.
Following Israel and the US’ large-scale attacks on Iran, and Israel’s continued war on Gaza, this has raised the question on the future of international order.
News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to the Executive Director of the Britain Palestine Project, Dr Brian Brivati, about this turning point in international order, and what we should expect heading forward.
As the youth parliament is set to take place this week, a number of youth MPs have spoken out claiming they have been asked to change or remove elements of their speeches which criticise certain political figures or current topics like environmental action, pay equity and the treaty principles bill.
Youth Organisation Gen Z Aotearoa founder Nate Wilbourne was asked to edit parts of his speech calling out Ministers Shane Jones, Tama Potaka and Penny Simmonds on their role in environmental destruction.
He said “When your voices are edited to remove criticism, when ministers are shielded from being named, when we're told that our lived experiences are too political, that is not neutrality – that is protection of the status quo.”
As well this week, on July 1st a number of changes came into effect including the government’s Kiwisaver contributions and eligibility, the rate in payments for sole parents and through ACC, Healthy Homes standards, and procedures for receiving the job seeker benefit.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Producer Sara asked Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics
Last week it was revealed that the government had withdrawn New Zealand from the Beyond Oil and Gas alliance, an international coalition dedicated to phasing out the use of fossil fuels.
This was confirmed by climate change minister Simon Watts, who said that the exit from the alliance was prompted by the government’s repeal of the oil and gas exploration ban.
In that same week, Immigration minister Erica Stanford recently announced that the government was looking to electronically monitor some asylum seekers and migrants, in preparation for mass arrivals of asylum seekers by plane.
And, just recently, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith introduced a number of sentencing reforms that included capping the discounts judges can give to offenders and treating one-punch attacks as separate offenses.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez March to get the party’s take on all of these issue.
Last week, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced the government’s decision for New Zealand to exit the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance. The organisation was formed in 2021 by countries and other stakeholders to discuss the phase-out of fossil fuels in favour of more environmentally friendly fuel sources. The decision to leave the alliance follows the repeal of the ban on Oil and Gas exploration, which the government says is a necessary decision to ensure we have the necessary resources to transition towards more environmentally friendly fuel sources. The Green party has criticised the move, saying it undermines our international reputation as a front runner on environmental issues and our personal commitments to combating climate change.
The government has also announced upcoming changes to ADHD diagnoses, allowing General Practitioners (GPs) to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication. The change follows long wait times and difficult processes for children and adults with ADHD to access a diagnosis or the necessary medication.
In our weekly catch-up with National’s Tom Rutherford, Tuesday Wire Host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the departure from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
Last week, Te Pāti Māori MP, Takutai Kemp, passed away at the age of 50.
She had previously taken leave from Parliament last year, due to suffering from kidney disease.
Following the announcement of Kemp’s passing, the House adjourned early in the week out of respect for Kemp, her whānau, loved ones, and Te Pāti Māori.
For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to him about the passing of Takutai Kemp.
They also discussed the Regulatory Standards Bill.
Last week, ACT Party Leader, David Seymour, created multiple posts on his Instagram, accusing individuals, such as academics Dr George Laking, Dame Anne Salmond, and Metiria Turei, as well as Labour’s Willie Jackson, of suffering from "Regulatory Standards Derangement Syndrome".
In response to this, Wellington Mayor, Tory Whanau, wrote to the Prime Minister, accusing Seymour of “attempting to stifle academic opinion and any dissenting opinion.” She added that Seymour’s acts breached Sections 2.53 and 2.56 of the Cabinet Manual.
Section 2.53 calls for Ministers to "conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the office," while Section 2.56 requires ministers to act to the highest level of ethical and behavioral standards.
As well as this, they discussed the bill receiving over 130,000 public submissions, but only being allocated 30 hours for these submissions.
Zohran Mamdani has all but won the Democratic Primary in New York City after key competitor Andrew Cuomo conceded the race.
Mamdani will now be the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor.
His campaign was built on cost-of-living, where Mamdani presented himself as an authentic, Democratic Socialist, grassroots campaign leader.
Wire Host Caeden spoke to 95bFM reporter and South Asia correspondent Sanat Singh about Momdani’s win, what this means for the communities he represents, and where to from here.
Last week, the council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Committee said they would be seeking to implement a number of recommendations that improve emergency readiness for disabled populations.
Following a hui last year where community members were invited to bring forward issues relating to future planning for natural disasters, Sara was interested to hear about how the council is taking suggestions on board.
As well, Auckland Council has been considering proposals to mitigate flood risks around the Wairau catchment, including one which would see the reduction of the size of the Takapuna Golf Course, to convert the space into a flood catchment.
Producer Sara spoke to Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson on both of these topics, firstly by asking him to discuss the desired outcomes relating to emergency preparedness for disabled people, and the council’s first steps to implementation
A reported 131,000 submissions were made on the Regulatory Standards Bill.
The Bill, proposed by the ACT party, includes a set of principles outlining “responsible regulation.” Notably, it does not include any mention of either version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Last weekend, hundreds of Destiny Church members marched on Queen Street in a rally that they called “in defence of faith, flag, and family.”
And the Labour Party has criticised the framing of a poll question by the Taxpayers Union/Curia on whether or not Cook Islanders should retain automatic New Zealand citizenship.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden asked Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.